


Cabin Fever

by OzQueen



Category: As Time Goes By
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 17:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5550011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzQueen/pseuds/OzQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Doing absolutely nothing is always much nicer when you've got someone to do nothing with," Jean murmured sleepily. "Though I do hope it's a fine day tomorrow. Especially now we've gone through your rations of custard tarts."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cabin Fever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/gifts).



> There is nothing even remotely plotty about this. It's a tiny little scene of fluff and cuddling and not much more, but I hope you like it!

* * *

Though it was nothing compared to the earlier downpour they'd been subjected to that morning, rain continued to tap at the windowpanes of Lionel and Jean's sitting room, and the sky remained a dull, heavy grey.

Lionel was finding the whole thing quite enjoyable — the kettle was boiling and he had two custard tarts hidden away, and on the arm of his chair sat a book on the history of cricket, which he had been longing to read for some time.

"Tea?" he asked Jean, glancing at her on his way into the kitchen.

She stood at the sitting room window, her arms folded. She had stationed herself there after plumping all the sofa cushions and minutely straightening all the items on the writing desk. Though her back was to him, he could picture the look on her face, and it was one of impatience.

"Yes, why not?" she said in response, though she didn't turn from the window. "It doesn't look as though we'll get outside at all."

Lionel allowed himself a small smile as he touched the side of the kettle with his palm and readied the mugs. "Do we have somewhere to be?"

"Not as such," Jean said lightly. "Although it would be nice to have the choice, wouldn't it?"

Lionel glanced over his shoulder, but she hadn't followed him into the kitchen. "Cabin fever?" he asked, lifting his voice a little so it carried back to her.

"Something like that."

"Would you like a custard tart?" he offered generously.

"Goodness," she said with a little laugh. "It's not as serious as that, Lionel. I'm quite all right."

"No, I know," he said, adding milk to their tea. "I just thought you might like one, all the same."

"Well, if you're having one," she answered, knowing very well that if there were custard tarts to be had with tea, Lionel would certainly be having one.

He carried a tray into the sitting room and set it down on the coffee table, and it was only then Jean turned from the window.

"I don't like rainy days," she said.

"You love rainy days," Lionel said, handing her a cup of tea and a saucer with a custard tart on it. "Today's rainy day simply doesn't suit you, that's all. Though I can't think why it shouldn't. We didn't have any plans, did we?"

"No," Jean answered. She sank onto the sofa, though she looked to be humming with energy. "I had thought about going to the library."

"Oh yes?"

"Yes. I finished my book."

"Ah." He sat in his chair and pulled his own book into his lap. Sir Jack Hobbs was on the back cover, and Lionel cast his memory back to warm summer afternoons punctuated with the crack of leather on wood.

"What are you reading?" Jean asked suddenly.

Lionel held it up so she could see the front cover.

"Oh."

"You can read it after me, if you like."

She laughed. "Things aren't so dire, Lionel." She laughed again, and he smiled and crossed one leg over the other, settling back in his chair.

Jean sipped her tea and shifted her weight on the sofa. She nibbled the crust off her custard tart and then ate the middle. She straightened the cushions again, and sat staring out the window at the rain.

"Jean," Lionel said in exasperation.

"What?" she asked, a little too quickly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He closed his book again and set it aside, before he got to his feet and sat down beside her.

She blinked at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting next to you."

"Well, why?" she asked in alarm.

"Well, no reason in particular," he said. "Do you want me to move back?"

"I didn't say that."

He took her empty mug from her hand and set it on the coffee table, folding her hand between his. Her skin was still warm from where she had cupped her palms around her tea. He straightened the rings on her fingers with his thumb. "Cabin fever," he said softly.

Her shoulders slumped. "A little," she admitted. "I don't know why. You're right; I didn't have anything planned for today, and there's nothing outside the house which requires my attention at all…" She trailed off, unsure.

Lionel eased his weight against the back of the sofa and sighed deeply, patting Jean's hand and staring out at the rain. They sat like that for several quiet minutes, listening to the patter of raindrops on pavement and the wet rush of tyres cutting through the puddles in the street.

"We could do a jigsaw," Lionel suggested.

"Oh, yes," Jean said, though she didn't move. "That's a good rainy day activity."

"Do we have any jigsaw puzzles?"

"Upstairs, I think. Though I can't promise all the pieces will be there."

"There's nothing quite so disappointing as almost completing a jigsaw only to find a piece missing."

Jean made a noise of agreement and leaned her head against Lionel's shoulder. "It's quite relaxing, really," she said gazing out at the rain. "When you stop and take it in."

"There's the trick," Lionel said against the top of her head. "Stopping to take it in."

"Well, it isn't as though we've been short on rain lately."

"No I suppose not."

She curled her legs up and nestled into him with a sigh, committing herself to a cosy afternoon in. "You can keep reading your book, if you like."

Lionel glanced over at his book, abandoned on the arm of his chair and well out of reach. He looked down at Jean again, her head on his shoulder and her arms wrapped tightly around his. "No, it's all right," he said. "Suddenly the desire for a rainy day activity has left me." He dropped a kiss against the top of her head.

"Doing absolutely nothing is always much nicer when you've got someone to do nothing with," Jean murmured sleepily. "Though I do hope it's a fine day tomorrow. Especially now we've gone through your rations of custard tarts."

"My word, yes," Lionel said, rousing himself from the drowsiness which had been threatening to cloak him. "One of us might have to brave the the rain for more."

"One of us," Jean muttered. She poked his ribs and he laughed.

"I'll call Alistair and have him deliver some," he suggested.

Jean gave a wicked laugh. "No, don't do that," she said. "If he comes over and it's still raining, we'll all be trapped indoors together. Two is company," she reminded him. "Three's a crowd."

"You're right," Lionel sighed, though he felt distinctly restless now that she had reminded him his custard tart supply had run dry. He gazed out at the rain wistfully. "I do hope it's fine tomorrow."

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first attempted at As Time Goes By fic, and it's been a little while since I've watched the series. I'm suddenly worried I've blundered things because of this, but fingers crossed it's not something too serious!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it - happy holidays :)


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